until the moment arrives when death ensnares him in its painful grip. At that time, regret is futile. One is then compelled to face the consequences of actions.”^[1]

Dear Islamic brothers! Today, most people are lost in worldly hopes, forgetting death in the process; they neither intend to seek religious knowledge nor differentiate between halal and haram. Heedlessness of death, fleeting hopes, and the love of this world prevent us from reforming ourselves, developing fear of Allah in our hearts, or making any effort toward betterment. Long hopes are the root of sins and a significant cause of human destruction and ruin.

The final Prophet of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, said: اَوَّلُ فَسَادِهَا اَلْبُخْلُ وَالْاَمَلُ meaning the first corruption of this nation is miserliness and long hopes.^[2]

Explaining this hadith, Mufti Aḥmad Yār Khān NaꜤīmī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه mentions:

“This means that the first sin of a Muslim, which serves as the root for other sins, includes these two elements: miserliness, which is the root of bloodshed and discord, and long hopes, which is the root of heedlessness and sins.

Even in old age, a person thinks he still has a lot of time and will perform good deeds later. Yet, in this very state, death arrives unexpectedly."^[3]

O those who love Allah’s Messenger! It is true that our nafs and Satan deceive us with thoughts such as: